The present invention relates to optical bar code scanning systems and more particularly to a support member for a portable bar code scanning device which enables the operator to properly orient the scanner in a reading position.
In present-day merchandising point-of-sale operations, data pertaining to the purchase of a merchandise item is obtained by reading data encoded indicia such as a bar code label printed on or attached to the merchandise item. In order to standardize the bar codes used in various point-of-sales checkout systems, the grocery industry has adopted a uniform product code (UPC) which is in the form of a bar code. Reading systems which have been constructed to read this type of bar code include hand-held scanners which are moved across the bar code to generate electrical signals representing the bar coded data. In reading the bar code label, the scanner should be oriented to the bar code label at an angle of between fifteen and twenty degrees to eliminate any direct reflection of the laser light beam and any ambient light back into the photodetector in the scanner which would interfere with the reading of the label.